Slate Business
515 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago -Get the latest from Slate Money and the entire Slate network's takes on the latest in the world of business and business news.
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Episodes
Overnight Billionaires | Airbnb
September 25, 2020 10:00 - 38 minutesAirbnb transformed the experience of travel by turning ordinary neighborhoods into tourist destinations, and ordinary people into backdoor innkeepers. These people’s small businesses are the backbone of Airbnb’s big one. But facing a pandemic and a potential PR disaster, would the company prioritize its guests or its hosts? Podcast production by Heba Elorbany and Jess Miller, with help from Madeline Ducharme and Asha Saluja. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows ...
Queasy Rider | The Uncertain Future of Harley-Davidson
September 18, 2020 10:00 - 25 minutesThere are few more iconic pieces of Americana than a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. But its singular Americanness - the thing that has kept the brand popular for decades - may now be a harbinger of its downfall. Podcast production by Jess Miller, with help from Asha Saluja. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fly the Unfriendly Skies | The Story of Ryanair
September 11, 2020 10:00 - 23 minutesRyanair’s Michael O’Leary says things about customers and competitors that you wouldn’t expect him to get away with -- but he does. He takes business risks that others wouldn’t dream of -- and they almost always pay off. Now facing a global pandemic, will Ryanair’s signature “no-frills” model and its lightning-rod CEO weather the storm? Podcast production by Jess Miller, with help from Madeline Ducharme, Hannah Klein, Cleo Levin, and Asha Saluja. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bo...
Croc of Ages | The Strange Staying Power of a Cheap, Ugly Clog
September 04, 2020 10:00 - 23 minutesCrocs once teetered on the verge of total ruin, but after a long, bumpy journey, the instantly recognizable plastic clogs are back. The fact that people hate them may very well be what saved them. Podcast production by Jess Miller, with help from Madeline Ducharme, Hannah Klein, and Asha Saluja. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...
Boss Fights | Tim Sweeney, Epic Games, and the Quest to Slay the Mobile Duopoly
August 28, 2020 10:00 - 27 minutesA lot has changed since we first reported on Epic Games and its smash hit, Fortnite. This week, we bring you new reporting on how the little start-up that changed the world of gaming could permanently alter the way tech giants like Apple do business. Podcast production by Jess Miller and Asha Saluja. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...
A Man for All Sazones | Bob Unanue and the Future of Goya Foods
August 21, 2020 10:00 - 27 minutesGoya CEO Robert Unanue recently praised Donald Trump at the White House, resulting in a call to boycott Goya from the political left and endorsements from the political right. Did Unanue do this to jeopardize the sale of his company and to maintain control of what his family founded? Podcast production by Jess Miller, with help from Madeline Ducharme, Hannah Klein, Megan Kallstrom, and Asha Saluja. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slo...
A Tuna Tale | Starkist, Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea, and the Sinking of Seafood Empires
August 14, 2020 10:00 - 24 minutesA few years ago, the Department of Justice started looking into business practices in the canned tuna industry. What unfolded was a price fixing story so dark and disruptive, it threatened to upend a century-old industry. Podcast production by Jess Miller, with help from Madeline Ducharme, Hannah Klein, Megan Kallstrom, and Asha Saluja. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more ...
Thinking Inside the Box | The Story of Domino’s
June 26, 2020 10:00 - 25 minutesIts chief digital officer called it “an e-commerce company that sells pizza.” Tasters across the country once said its products tasted like cardboard. But by cornering the delivery business early on, Domino’s set itself up for success—a gamble that especially paid off once in-house dining went on pause. Podcast production by Jess Miller, with help from Asha Saluja and Megan Kallstrom. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up...
Kings of Consulting | McKinsey & Company
June 19, 2020 10:00 - 35 minutesSince its founding in the 1920s, McKinsey has become the gold standard for management consulting. But as its business grew, so did America’s wealth gap. Is that a coincidence? Podcast production by Heba Elorbany and Jess Miller with help from Asha Saluja. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Fortnite Founder | Tim Sweeney and Epic Games
June 12, 2020 10:00 - 22 minutesEpic Games changed the world of gaming with its smash hit, Fortnite. But for founder Tim Sweeney, Fortnite was a culmination of everything he had learned since he received his first computer at age 11. Podcast production by Jess Miller and Asha Saluja. Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Swan Thong | The Rise and Fall of Victoria’s Secret
June 05, 2020 10:00 - 23 minutesAlthough it’s known for making products for women, Victoria’s Secret was created as a shopping experience for men. It hit its stride in the 1990s, with stores in malls across America and a brand built on a very specific kind of fantasy: supermodels, angel wings, and diamond-studded bras. But when this definition of glamour—and retail— began to fall out of fashion, Victoria’s Secret refused to budge. Now, its future is in jeopardy. Casey Crowe Taylor is a former Victoria’s Secret employee. Hei...
Sanity and Sanitizer | The Story of Purell
May 29, 2020 10:00 - 20 minutesBefore this pandemic, the story of Purell was mostly about innovation -- inventing something people needed before they realized they needed it. Now, it’s a story about something every business executive dreams of -- a sudden influx of customers desperate to get their hands on your product. But when demand surges so fast that the leading brand can’t produce enough of it, it results in scarcity and price gouging... and other companies jump in to fill the gap. When life returns to some level o...
Floating Hellscapes | The Carnival Corporation
May 22, 2020 10:00 - 23 minutesFor decades, Carnival Corporation has successfully sold affordable luxury to passengers, becoming the largest cruise ship business in the world. The reason why a vacation at sea can be so inexpensive has to do with both the vision of Carnival’s founder and the historical origins of the cruise industry itself. But that affordability can also come with unpleasant consequences. Now, the entire industry’s future has been thrown into doubt by a deadly virus. Cindel Pena was a passenger onboard Ca...
Introducing: Thrilling Tales of Modern Capitalism
May 08, 2020 20:35 - 1 minuteNavigating the marketplace is your original choose-your-own adventure. Thrilling Tales of Modern Capitalism takes a company in the news, and looks at its history to figure out why it finds itself in its present circumstances. Host Seth Stevenson brings you stories you may not have heard about the brands that shape how you live and work. And whether they’ve succeeded or failed, these companies have been on more of an adventure than you may have imagined. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...